War has escaped the battlefield and now can, with modern guidance systems on missiles, tou
Making war has been one of the most persistent of human activities in the 80 centuries since men and women settled in cities and thereby became "civilized", but the modernization of the past 80 years has fundamentally changed the role and function of war. In premodernized societies, successful warfare brought significant material rewards, the most obvious of which were the stored wealth of the defeated. Equally important was human labor--control over people as slaves or levies for the victor's army, and there was the productive capacity--agricultural lands and mines. Successful warfare also produced psychic benefits. The removal or destruction of a threat brought a sense of security, and power gained over others created pride and national self-esteem.
War was accepted in the premodernized society as a part of the human condition, a mechanism of change, and an unavoidable, even noble, aspect of life. The excitement and drama of war made it a vital part of literature and legends.
According to the passage, leaders of premodernized society considered war to be
A.a valid tool of national policy
B.an immoral act of aggression
C.economically wasteful and socially unfeasible
D.restricted in scope to military participants